CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Autopsy records obtained this week by the Guardian shows that a veteran killed earlier this year in Ross County was shot multiple times in the back.
Lance Corporal Jeffrey Todd Knotts, Jr., 21, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky died from multiple gunshots after he was found going door-to-door in the middle of the night, allegedly pleading for help. Multiple homeowners dialed 9-1-1 to report that a stranger was knocking on their doors, while multiple home security cameras caught the goings-on. Before deputies could make it to the Chillicothe subdivision, one homeowner opened fire, killing the Marine on a front lawn. It was assumed by much of the public that the shooting was an act of self-defense, but the autopsy report sheds a light that may determine that the attack was instead an act of murder.
Why was Knotts in Chillicothe?
The veteran was reportedly in the Chillicothe area while visiting family who sought to assist him with his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by taking him to the local Veteran’s Affairs (VA). It is also worth mentioning that during the autopsy Knotts had tested positive for Lamotrigine, a medication intended to help patients with mental ailments, such as epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and certain types of seizures. Medical journals reviewed by the Guardian show that the prescription’s usage can result in various sleeping disorders, such as vivid nightmares, lucid dreams, and sleepwalking.
After his death, Knott’s family spoke publicly about the shooting. Their account of the event lends credibility to the theory that he might have been experiencing complications from medication when he was killed. On the morning of the shooting family members previously told the Guardian that they had awoken from sleep to take the veteran to the hospital to inquire about lowering his medication dosage, only to discover that the door was open and he was gone. That’s when they learned he had been killed.
Shot in the backside.
In the autopsy report published by the coroner of Montgomery County, it was determined the cause of death was due to six gunshot wounds that Knotts had sustained that evening: four in his backside and two in his head.
The first reported wound was at an intermediate-range in the left-mid back, which then proceeded to enter his left lung with no exit wound. The following five shots are what may be the key to how the case moves forward. Those bullet holes were at distant-range, potentially insinuating that Knotts had already begun to put distance between himself and the shooter, the coroner reported. The coroner said the next two reported shots at Knotts were again in his left-back, entering his left lung and sternum with no exit wounds.
What the autopsy toxicology report could indicate is that the veteran may have been sleepwalking or encountering delusions while under the influence of Lamotrigine — the medication he was taking when he was shot, perhaps while in a state of unawareness, which could explain his behavior.
Rumors circulated on social media the morning of the shooting by neighbors in the area that a “drug addict” had been killed while allegedly trying to burglarize homes. The family immediately defended the veteran after the incident, stating that he was not a drug abuser. Additionally, they acknowledged the side effects of the medication that the VA had warned the family about.
Knotts had been deployed to a foreign country for two years while serving in the Marines, and then following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, Knotts decided to leave the military, his family said.
“They had him on multiple medications and they knew it would collide. He is not a burglar, he was just a kid. He was an honored veteran and an excellent person. The VA let him down along with everyone who is slandering his name,” a family representative told the Guardian.
Will the homeowner face charges for the killing?
Since the autopsy report shows that Knotts was shot multiple times in the back, it begs the question, “Was he fleeing when he was killed?” and if so, will the homeowner face charges?
In 9-1-1 calls obtained by the Guardian, the homeowner who opened fire told dispatchers his verison of events.
“I just had somebody break into my house and I shot them,” the male caller said. “He broke down my front door — the outside door — and he ran back outside; I shot him five times.” The man said that Knotts went back outside and laid down on the porch where he died. The autopsy report, of course, now calls that account into question, leading many to wonder if the homeowner will be charged.
Standing your ground in Ohio.
A new Ohio law had just gone into effect before the shooting, which may play a pivotal role in the fate of the investigation.
Senate Bill 175 was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in January 2021. SB175, according to DeWine, was meant to “favor the victim and not the criminal.”
“I have always believed that it is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation. While campaigning for Governor, I expressed my support for removing the ambiguity in Ohio’s self-defense law, and Senate Bill 175 accomplishes this goal,” said DeWine. The new law says as long as a person has a legal right to be where they are, there is no requirement to retreat or escape.
Margaret Huang, President, and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center said that the law was wrong.
“Stand Your Ground laws cannot stand. They encourage a trigger-happy culture of vigilantism that cheapens the value of human life. They deepen vast and harmful disparities in our legal system. They make us less safe.”
Ross County Prosecutor Jeff Marks told the Guardian on Thursday that the case remains under review by his office.
“My office has received a bulk of the evidence collected during this investigation and we are currently reviewing the same,” the Prosecutor said. “We are waiting for additional testing of evidence to be completed before a final charging decision can be made.”
